(Disclaimer: the following is for informational purposes only. The correct identification of fungus is incredibly important. If you do not know what you’re doing, and even if you do, do a spore print test. If you don’t know what that is, you better study before doing anything. The following medical examples are exactly that– examples! Some of the natural properties are incredibly beneficial, while some are extremely poisonous. You must know what you are doing. All other medical articles are geared towards research and extreme emergency-only procedures. None of this document should be construed as medical advice; please refer to a doctor.)
The use of fungus in medicine has been applied for over 3900 years, and that’s just the recorded history. Current use of fungus properties has been recorded as more effective than prescription medicines (and even experimental serums) when it came to fighting almost all strains of influenza and smallpox. A good reference for this is the works of Paul Stament and Robert Rogers. (See: NPR.) I highly recommend these books, they are critical for anybody’s proper library when it comes to being able to deal with severe disease. Tests were performed at U.S. Army lab at Fort Dietrich, Maryland on Agarikon mushroom. This mushroom showed incredible antiviral capabilities against smallpox, including the hemergatic version, which means it might possibly be effective against hemergatic diseases, such as Lassa and Ebola.
Smallpox
The amount of antiviral and anti-microbial functions that these fungus have is incredible. Remember that most of modern antibiotics are created from a refined form of fungus or one of its properties. These tests showed that this particular fungus was more effective than even the best, current experimental antivirals, when it came to battling smallpox. His books explain how to not only grow edible and medicinal mushrooms, which require minimal light, but also how to clean up radioactive, chemical, and biologically-contaminated materials using fungus.
Radiation
Other interesting mushrooms that should be included in a nuclear disaster are medicinal mushrooms, like reishi, chaga, and maitake. These have compounds called beta glucans that can soothe the internal burns caused by radioactivity.
Reishi Mushroom Fruiting Bodies (Ganoderma lucidum) offer protection against ionizing radiation.
- Preventive dose (400 mg.), take two caps or one dropperful of tincture up to three times per-day.
- Dose upon radiation exposure, take the same dose up to six times per day.
In a controlled study done at the U.S. Armed Forces Radiobiology Institute, 70% of rats given a lethal dose of radiation were completely protected from radiation effects when given a dose of yeast beta glucan by mouth after the radiation exposure. Beta glucan is a free radical scavenger. It is able to protect blood macrophages from free radical attack during and after the radiation, allowing these cells to continue to function in the irradiated body and release factors important to the restoration of normal bone marrow production. In combination with calcium oratate, sodium alginate, Ginkgo Leaf extract (following the tragedy at Chernobyl, scientists in the Soviet Union and elsewhere studied several natural products to see if they could reverse evidence of radiation-induced damage in responders and in people living near the disaster site. Most of the research involved products not readily available outside the Soviet Union, but one study utilized a Ginkgo biloba extract, Egb 761, that is available in North America. According to scientists at the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris the administration of Egb 761, 40 milligrams three times a day for two months, to workers at Chernobyl helped to significantly decrease evidence of radiation damage in blood, the benefits persisting for several months after administration of the Ginkgo extract ended. Italian researchers from the University of Pisa found similar protective effects of Egb 761 in patients exposed to high dose radioactive iodine, and finally on the list for internal nuclear protection is caffeine, giving 200 to 400 mg per hour while exposed to radiation. Not only that but mixing caffeine crystals in with a sunblock (full-spectrum 100 or better SPF) has been shown in scientific tests to minimize skin damage caused from radioactive materials.
The medicinal properties of medical mushrooms has been known for ages among most healers. From the American Indian to the Tibetan monk, these mushrooms have been used to heal ailments for many centuries. It has also been used to light fires, enjoy as a barbecued (beefsteak) mushroom, and seek spiritual enlightenment, plus they’re mighty tasty. Once you’ve read these books, you will simply be able to create everything from food off of baren rocks on top of mountains to medicines that enable you to take care of most ailments. It is one of the most critical resources, I feel, in my survival medical library.
Vitamin C
Another interesting concept that has been used in emergency medical situations was the use of mega doses of vitamin C versus viruses and cancers. These tests showed positive results in destroying the influenza virus, if taking immediately after known contraction and in the recommended dosage of vitamin C. Several mechanisms for vitamin C’s antiviral effect are known or suggested from studies. The antioxidant property of ascorbate promotes a reducing environment in the bloodstream and tissues, enhancing the body’s response to oxidative stress from inflammation, thereby helping to fight microbes and viruses that propagate in stressful conditions. Ascorbate has been shown to have specific antiviral effects in which it inactivates the RNA or DNA of viruses, or in the assembly of the virus [Vitamin C is also involved in enhancing several functions of the immune system. Ascorbate can enhance the production of interferon, which helps prevent cells from being infected by a virus. Ascorbate stimulates the activity of antibodies, and in megadoses seems to have a role in mitochondrial energy production. It can enhance phagocyte function, which is the body’s mechanism for removing viral particles and other unwanted debris [4]. White blood cells, which are involved in the body’s defense against infections of all types, concentrate ascorbate up to 80 times plasma levels, which, if you take enough vitamin C, allows them to bring huge amounts of ascorbate to the site of the infection [4]. Many different components of the immune response, B-cells, T-cells, NK cells, and also cytokine production, all with important roles in the immune response, are enhanced by ascorbate.
This information is free, as it is not wise to give out medical advice. I highly recommend that you actually research this. The doses range from 1-2 g of vitamin ascorbate taken either orally or intravenously every 4 to 6 hours. In an interesting note, in the movie Outbreak, they referred to the experimental serum used to stop the Ebola-like virus as “orange juice”. I have heard through the grapevine that this was based on the current vitamin C megadose experiments versus severe viral infections.
Ebola
Since I have brought up the disease Ebola and its current pandemic possibilities, I wish to note that balancing the patient’s fluids and electrolytes, along with oxygen, is key in almost all aspects of any type of severe infection. You’ll notice in the news that they talked about giving blood transfusions from surviving Ebola patients with compatible blood types to those currently sick to be able to transfer antibodies over. This was successfully done in a few other outbreaks of hemorrhagic fevers, and has shown to work about 50 to 70% of the time. Another note that if an Ebola pandemic does take place, you should not use NSAID’s or aspirin to treat symptoms of fever.
TetraSilver-Tetroxide (not colloidal silver)
Another interesting substance that has been used to be able to stop weaponized pathogens is TetraSilver-TetraOxide. This is not Colloidal silver. This specific substance was shown to defeat some of the more serious types of infectious diseases. This is a small section out of the patent “Tetrasilver tetroxide semiconductor crystal capable of killing viruses, bacteria, fungi and algae when operating in conjunction with other such devices.” M. Antelman: US Patent # 5,676,977 ~ “Method of Curing AIDS with Tetrasilver Tetroxide Molecular Crystal Devices” M. Bactericide Compositions” (Abstract). This is another excellent example of what is possible when it comes to battling potential pandemic. K.T. TSEN, et al: “Inactivation of Viruses by UV Light”.
Information for Rebuilding Civilization
Some of this fascinating research comes from one of my favorite survivalist study information– the civilization kit by Rexresearch.com. You’ll find an incredible amount of information to be able to rebuild your civilization. He asked for a $13 contribution to keep his website up; for doing so you will receive a DVD of everything that’s on the website plus bonuses. Everything on the website is free, and once you have seen what you will be capable of doing with just a simple machine shop, some intelligence, and willpower, I hope you can help me rebuild human society into a level I civilization– a Golden age.
I felt that all the above mentions the potential and importance of having as many knowledge set skills as possible, with the ability to access research material to learn more. I did not go into herbology, as this would take up volumes of space. There is great use in herbs as medicine. My medical library has quite a selection on herbs. One book that I particularly recommend is along the lines of herbal/prescription reactions. Here are a few of what I think are the best:
- A Modern Herbal, volumes 1 and 2,
- All Indian ethnobotany books you can get,
- Chinese Medicinal Herbsby Li Shi- Chen.
- A Dictionary of Economic Plants by Uphof (This is a fascinating book in which they show which plants produce food, Ford, fibers, dyes, rubbers, spices, timber, and forced three products, perfumes, medicinals, narcotics, insecticides, and more. I mean it goes so far as to have bungee arrow poison recipes to animal hide de-hairing plants.)
- Along with this I highly recommend one of the modern books on herbal/drug interactions.
I certainly hope this helps someone out there make it! My prayers are with you at all times.